The Opelousas courier., 1887-04-09
The carriage is at thu

the domestic stage of the little Jones
and the castle of gold and diamonds wa
l.never finished.
SIS that the wild girl of the wood
you have with you, Darrell?" questioned
Mrs. seacord, contemptuously, as Majo
Darrell waited patiently in one Of tn
fashionable temples of the city for pup
Lydia to be measured for a clean ant
decent outfit of clothing.
Looks like it, does shc?" laughed tn
major. / think myself she is rather al
unpromis ne specimen"
"What al ugly faec!" said Mrs. Sea
cord, lowering her voice. "Whom die
you say she was?"'
leopold Temples neice- and heiress
by the way-and my ward. Is thai
your carriage Mrs. Seacord2 Pray allow
me the pleasure"
As the courteous major escorted Mrs.
Seacord TO her coupe, Lydia twitchsd
herself out OF the dressmakers hands
and ran up to the great mirror.
''They are right" she said tc herself,
after a momentary survey; 81 am ugly;
l do look like the wild girl of the woods,
and / wish | was dcad-so there!"
And she sullenly went back to Mrs.
Threadneedle, who sat in a sort of mild
amazcment, waiting her cratic notions.
The next day she went to boarding
school. Major Darrell left her at Beau
champ Lodge, with a kindly shake Of
the hand.
Good by, LYDIA" said he, II hope
you will do well. OF course, | shall re.
ceive quarterly reports of you, and in
case OF sickness, Or any necessity, pray
call upon me as you would on your own
father"
So he went away. Lydia stood star
ing after him, with great, glittering eyes
and set lips.
i0 AeFci AiSsCu Lt lit ucfti
stroked my hair" she thought. He don't
care for me; nobody cares for a wild
girl of the woods. Why couldn't they
have left me alone in my Kitchen"
Major Darrell was absent in India
eight more years, and when he returned,
the silver threads were beginning to min
gle in his chestnut brown locks.
II suppose | must go and see the
little wild girl" he thought, as he sat
alone by the hotel fire, the first night of
his arrival. And as the reluctant sense
of duty forced itself on his mind, a soft
tap sounded at the door.
Come in" said Lionel Darrell, think
ing only of his slippers or the newspaper,
and in walked a tall, beautiful girl,
slender as a reed and graceful as a lily
stalk, with purplc-black curls, topped
back from a low, broad brow, and eyes
of a melting violet-black. She wore a
simple gray silk, cxquisitcly made and in
excellent taste, and a scarlet cashmere
scarf was thrown picturesquely across
her shoulders.
Good evening, guardian" said she,
gay.y. I've come 10 welcome you
home. saw your Arrival in the morn
ing paper, and as l CHANGED 10 be in
town with Mrs. Beauchamp, l took adj
vantage Of the opportunity"
"Ehgh gasped the maj r, ''you-you
are never little Lydia, the wild girl of
the woods!'
"But | am" said she, laughingly
shaking back her curls. thine works
wonders, you see, and I'm so tired of
Beauchamp Lodgep You'll take a
house, won't you guardian, and let me
and pour your tea and coffee for
youa And let it be by the seashore,
I delight in the sea-"
ut shall be wherever you say quoth
Major Darrell, fairly bewildered by the
beautiful vision.
The house was taken and furnished
o vinegar visaged old house
and three maids engaged, besides
m1jor's coppcr-eolored Malay valet.
And-Lydia, the homeless, came home.
my t~wenfy-first birthday, guardian"
said she, with pretty imperiousness.
What did you bring me for a present7
I dare say you forgot all about it."
"Naga1 do moi, said the major valiant
y, shave brough. you a husband, my
little girl"
"Whom?"
"Myselfl Will you marry the battered,
old campaigner, Lydia?"
And then and not till then, pretty,
Lydia whispered q secret to her
guardian.
dearest, have loved you ever since
that day when you first saw me in the
lirt and dust of Mrs. Jones' kitchen.n
.And you never toll mc27
ut was for you to speak first" she
aughcd.
And this was Lydia's fortune, better
han any castle Of gold or diamonds.
The DyGks of Borneo.